Folding desk.



L. DANIELS. FOLDING DESK.

Patented June 7, 1910.

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. L. DANIELS. FOLDING DESK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1909.

960,836. I Patented June 7, 1910.

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L. DANIELS.

FOLDING DESK.

APPLICATION 1-11.31) 001. 19, 1909.

960,836. Patented June 7, 1910.

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LEWIS DANIELS, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, 1910.

Application filed October 19, 1909. Serial No. 523,442.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS DANIELS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in FoldingDesks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in foldingdesks, and consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of my complete inventionin its folded or compact position. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection taken on the line a'a, of Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof my complete invention with the parts properly unfolded or opened in aposition for use and forming a complete desk. Fig. 4 is a horizontallongitudinal section taken on the line Z)b of Fig. 2 with parts brokenaway showing the means for movably connectin tion of the desk. Fig. 5 isa vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 00 of Fig. 2, and Fig.6 is a bottom plan view of the device with the bottom removed.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and practical foldingdesk, or one constructed in such a manner as to be readily andconveniently folded to snugly receive the various movable partscomprising my invention in a very compact position in the form of atrunk or case, which may be readily handled or shipped, thus formingmore particularly a collapsible desk, the parts of which may be used inthe usual way or similar to any desk when parts are in their openposition all of which will appear from the detail description to follow.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the top portion of the deskhaving the usual flat writing surface or top 2 and a basal portion 3,the latter forming the bottom or base of the desk when the same andparts thereof are folded in a compact position or when the desk is notdesired to be used.

Removably secured to or fixed to the top 1 of the desk or body portionthereof is an inclined writing surface 40f the usual construction and isof a suitable width and length to be freely received by the intermediatespace 5 formed by the oppositely located interior vertical thesupporting legs of the bed porwalls 6 forming a part of the cover 7 theremaining portion of said cover being formed by correspondingly locatedouter walls 8, and longitudinal vertical walls 9 of the cover 10 formingpart of said walls and secured thereto in any mechanical manner forcompleting the top of the desk. The cover thus constructed is hinged tothe rear edge of the top 1 of the desk the width of which corresponds inwidth to said top and located and properly arranged within the verticalwalls 6 and 8 of said cover is a vertical partition 11 and horizontalpartitions 12 all of which provide pigeon holes 13 which are located onthe opposite ends of the cover and on either side of the space 5 forminga part thereof, the said pigeon holes being covered by hinged doors 14carried by the upper edges of the cover when the latter is in its openedposition.

The basal portion 3 forming a part of the vertical horizontal andlongitudinal walls of the body portion of the desk is adapted to beformed in any mechanical or suitable manner and forms a rectangularshaped frame for receiving the movable cover 1 for the desk, the latterbeing secured by hinges 14 at its rear edge of the frame thus formed,whereby the same may be moved independently of the frame or to and fromthe cover 7 when the latter is in its open position as clearly shown inFig. 3 of the drawings, in which operation the inclined writing surface1 carried by the top 2 of the desk is adapted to be located within theintermediate space 5 of the said cover.

The bottom 15, when the device is in its closed position is freelyembraced and located between the walls forming the rectangular shapedframe 16 of the desk and also hinged as shown at 15 to the rear lowerlongitudinal portion of said frame; the parts to be hereinafterdescribed being located and confined between said bottom and hinged topof the desk when the latter is in its closed or folded position asclearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, the bottom 15referred to forming a continuation or back for the desk extending fromthe body portion of the desk to the base of the same or supports thereofwhen the parts are in their open position as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Movably connected or hinged as shown at 16 within the frame 16 of thebody of the desk adjacent to its longitudinal side and end walls thereofare legs or supports 17, suitable pins being passed through metallicplates 19 located on the opposite sides of said legs and passed into thesupporting receptacles 20- which receive the usual books or other papermatter when the same is in its unfolded position for use, all of whichis clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the said legs 17 beingproperly braced adjacent to their lower ends by connecting rods or bars21, the receptacles 20 being further supported when in an open positionby feet or posts 22 carried by the bottom of said receptacles, the saidposts or feet being so arranged or attached to the receptacles as tofreely pass one another when the receptacles are turned in their foldedposition in respect to the frame for1ning the body of the desk.

The front longitudinal walls of the frame forming the body or top of thedesk is suitably cut away in curvilinear form providing a knee spacebelow the desk which cut away portion is adapted to snugly receive asimilar shaped door or closing portion 23 which is hinged as shown at 23to the lower edge of the bottom 15 which forms a back wall of the deskwhen the latter is in its open position for use, the door thusconstructed being provided with a suitable lock 24: which cooperates ina suitable or mechanical manner with a keeper or catch plate not shownfastened to the front longitudinal portion of the frame 16, when theparts are in their folded position.

Projecting from the rear longitudinal wall forming the body of the deskare arms 25 which are adapted to support the hinged cover 7 at rightangles to the body of the desk when the parts are in their openposition.

From the foregoing detailed description the operation of the severalparts is obvious and when the parts are properly folded a complete andcompact trunk or case is pro vided such as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings and when it is desired to use the desk the parts comprising thelatter are easily and readily turned into position to form the mostpractical and complete desk for any and all purposes.

I do not limit myself. to compartments for receiving the various papers,books or other documents as herein shown and described and the same maybe varied in many respects without departing from the nature of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. A foldingdesk comprising a suitable rectangular frame forming a space,receptacles located within the frame thus formed and movably securedthereto, a back hinged to the frame and adapted to form the bottom forthe desk when the receptacles are turned in their folded or closedpositions, and a to hinged to the upper edge of the desk and adapted tobe closed down upon the upper surface of the same when the parts areproperly folded forming a trunk or case as and for the purposedescribed.

2. A folding desk comprising a rectangular frame forming a suitablereceptacle, a top hinged to the said frame and adapted to be receivedwithin the walls thus formed, receptacles hinged to the frame andlocated therein forming supports for the desk when the parts are in anunfolded position, a back hinged to the rectangular frame and adapted toform a bottom below the supporting receptacles when the latter are intheir closed position, a cover hinged to the upper edge of the frame andprovided with suitable receptacles or other compartment-s, said coverbeing adapted to be closed down upon the top of the desk and suitablemeans for locking the several parts together after they have been closedor folded as and for the purpose described.

3. A folding desk comprising a suitable rectangular shaped frame, a tophinged to the same and adapted to be received thereby, supportingcompartments located at either end of the rectangular frame and adaptedto be folded or turned within the frame, legs the upper ends of whichare hinged to or movably secured to the rectangular frame between thesupporting receptacles and frame, the lower ends of which extend asuitable distance below the said supporting receptacles, adjacent feetor posts extending below or from the bottoms of the said supportingreceptacles, rods con necting said legs, a back hinged to the lowerportion of the rectangular frame and adapted to form a bottom for thedesk when the parts are in a folded position, a door hinged to the loweredge of said bottom and adapted to cooperate with the front wall of therectangular frame or body of the desk, a.

suitable lock for securing the several parts together, a cover hinged tothe upper edge of the rectangular frame and provided with suitablecompartments, and doors hinged to the cover adjacent to the lower edgeof the front wall thereof for covering the said compartments as and forthe purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEIVIS DANIELS.

Witnesses:

G. PnRcY Fox, AMos ARCHER.

